If you’re searching for a cruiser/surfskate wheel, you should consider the Orangatang Love Handles.
In this article, I’ll cover the specs, pros & cons, and who I think they’re best for.
Disclaimer: Orangatang sent us these wheels for free. We only accepted it under the terms we could share our honest thoughts. Always want to keep it transparent.
Wheel Specs
The 77a/80a duros, sharp lips, and happy thane formula are great for cruising or surfskating.
Durometer
The Love Handles come in two duros…
- 77a (Blue)
- 80a (Orange)
For my riding style (low-key carving with occasional slides) I enjoyed the 80as.
Wheel Profile
Sharp lips for grippy traction.
Urethane
They used their happy thane formula, which is the exact type they use for their…
- Skiff (62mm)
- Fat Free (65mm)
- Stimulus (70mm)
- 4President (70mm)
- Durian (75mm)
- In Heat (75mm)
- Kegel (80mm)
- Caguama (85mm)
So if you’ve tried any of the wheels listed above, you’ll have a solid idea of the formula feel.
If you haven’t, then I would describe them as squishy, yet powerfully energetic. They definitely don’t feel slow.
Pros & Cons
So, you probably just want to know the pros & cons, right?
Below are the ones that I can think of (email me if you have others you think I should add).
Quality Formula
The Happy Thane formula that Orangatang uses (for most of their wheels) is really solid. It’s crazy because just using a metric like 77a duro doesn’t give the full picture. The more I learn about urethane formulas, the more I realize how different certain mixes feel.
You can rest assured that the Happy Thane formula will feel gummy, energetic and fast.
Reputable Brand
It’s no surprise that Orangatang is a reputable brand. When you buy their wheels, you know you’re getting something solid.
No-brainer pro.
Ideal cruiser/surfskate size
The size, sharp lip and urethane formula make these a great wheel set for your cruiser or surfskate.
Honestly, I would love to see the 4President wheels replaced on the Bolsa completes with these.
Harder to slide
If you’re someone who really enjoys sliding or you’re learning to slide, I probably wouldn’t reocmmend these.
Don’t get me wrong, once you break them in, you can slide them. But you should probably look into the 65mm Fat Frees instead.
Limited color options
I feel like I always say this and it’s almost me “searching” for a con…
But it would be cool to see different wheel color variations.
I can’t be the only one, right?
Lip Chips
Because the formula is on the softer side, Orangatang wheels are prone to getting chips in them.
I’ve had a bunch of beginners ask me if they should return them since their wheel lips chipped only a couple rides in.
This is normal and it won’t really affect your riding.
I would consider this a con, but I guess it’s a trade off for this type of formula.
Tested Setups
I tested the Love Handles on a few of my setups. Below is my experience.
Loaded Carver Bolsa
They worked great on the Bolsa and I honestly felt like they were made for it. One of the biggest complaints I’ve been hearing about the Bolsa is the 70mm 4President wheels can wheelbite.
Since my riding style is chiller than most, I didn’t experience any wheelbite with the 4Presidents. It also has a lot to do with weight.
The soft Orangatang bushings paired with a heavier rider and 70mm wheels, are a recipe for wheelbite.
Bottom Line: The Love Handles are a great wheel for the Bolsa (if you want a sharp lip wheel). They’ll also make your setup wheelbite proof.
YOW Arica
Love Handles pair beautifully with YOW completes. I tried them on my YOW Arica and they felt great.
From a urethane formula standpoint, they’re more similar to the old YOW Cinetic wheels. When I compared the Cinetics and Love Handles side by side, the Cinetics had a similar gummy feeling, but slightly harder.
From a size standpoint, the Love Handles are pretty much the same as all the wheels YOW offers.
The urethane formula is different compared to YOW’s URA wheels.
Although they both have a sharp lip profile, YOW’s URA wheels have a harder consistency and slide easier.
Bottom Line: Love Handles are really solid for YOW completes, especially if you miss the older Cinetics formula.
Loaded Coyote
Another solid board for these wheels is the
But, from the testing, I did do (low-key carving in parking lot)…
Bottom Line: The Love Handles is a solid wheel for the
Comparison to others
So, how do the Love Handles compare to other similar wheels?
Carver Roundhouse
The Love Handles have a similar formula to the 70mm Carver Roundhouse wheels.
If you’re experiencing any wheelbite, the Love Handles will make more sense since they’re 65mm.
YOW Cinetics & URAs
I briefly cover it in the YOW Arica section, but let me expand a little more.
YOW’s URA wheels have a harder formula consistency and slide easier. Even though they say they’re 76a durometer, they don’t feel as soft as the Love Handles. Durometer isn’t a great metric to compare wheels (unless you’re familiar with the brand’s urethane formula).
Bottom Line
I would recommend these wheels if you want a quality, 65mm sharp-lip cruiser/surfskate wheel.
The question shouldn’t be… “Are these wheels worth it?”
Instead, it should be “Do these wheels fit my riding style?”
